Article Roundup: December 5

Our team is always looking for ways to highlight the great work happening around the country. Every day, our communities face new challenges that are met head-on by leaders and entrepreneurs aiming to make a difference. Their work inspires ours!

Here is a selection of articles to stimulate the conversation:

Museums, Neighborhoods, and Gentrification: Lessons from the Nation’s Capital

Museums are now being used not only as a place to reflect on the past but a hub for conversations about the future.

In Washington D.C., the Smithsonian Institution’s Anacostia Community Museum is taking the lead on facilitating discussions about gentrification and the history of Black neighborhoods in the “Chocolate City.”

“How do communities mobilize locally and globally to ensure their preservation?” Citing examples from the past and the present, panelists including scholars, activists and nonprofit leaders from all over the country explored this question.

It’s a question worth asking as cities across the country are shifting rapidly as industries change, demographics expand and opportunity fluctuates.

Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom

“The Robots are coming! The Robots are coming!” – Paul Revere

The man was ahead of his time, what can we say?

Artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction. It is creeping into our everyday lives, including our children’s classrooms. Like any technology, there are positives and drawbacks, but how will the introduction of new technologies help the underserved and most vulnerable in our schools?

“A specific AI-assistant can change the font, provide haptic support for those visually impaired, or provide simpler-looking characters with more monotonous voices to alleviate the overwhelming input for autistic learners. Similarly, specialized micro-assistants ranging from medical support to the facilitation of the classroom experience—implants, wearable, virtual reality, and sensors—will be part of the educational experience.”

Akron incubator hopes to cultivate food entrepreneurship

In collaboration with a number of other local organizations, Akron Food Works will offer the city’s growing food business community a space to prepare meals, store ingredients and take classes.

Michael Byun, outgoing CEO of Asian Services in Action Inc., said the reason they helped facilitate grant money for Akron Food Works, a new incubator opening in Akron, Ohio, was because it was a “solution that is community-specific and community-responsive.”

Superstar Cities Have A Big Advantage in Attracting High Paying Jobs

Smaller cities are fighting an uphill battle against “superstar” cities in the fight to attract talent. Access to knowledge and zoning practices are just a couple reasons why regions find it difficult to compete with places like New York City and Washington, D.C. But there is still hope, according to the Economist, who makes the case that spending taxpayer dollars on infrastructure and education may yield better results than using that money to lure big tech firms. The investment in public goods could also improve diversity and small business growth which is equally, if not more, important to the stimulation of the economy.

“Small cities are at a disadvantage, then. But co-operation might level the playing-field. Cities could collectively agree to stop competing to lure firms with piles of taxpayer cash—which could be better spent on productivity-enhancing public goods such as infrastructure and education.”

Steve Case: On the midterms, Amazon HQ, and how every big idea starts with a crazy one

In a conversation with Larry Jacob, Kauffman Foundation Vice President of Public Affairs, AOL co-founder Steve Case laid out ways the country is lacking in equitable investment and how it puts the US at a disadvantage in the global economy.

“If we only back certain kinds of entrepreneurs who look a certain kind of way, and have to live in certain kind of places, and do certain kind of things, we are going to lose our lead – and other people in other parts of the world are going to fill that vacuum.”

As we saw with the HQ2 announcement, many people feel like the nepotism between giant corporations and the country’s largest metro areas is leaving behind a considerable portion of the country, creating large economic gaps.